Protest Rally at New Delhi on 17 August 2009
PR from MSAD (Manipur Students' Association Delhi)

Office of the Manipur Students' Association Delhi
New Delhi

Ref. No. 20090817 – PR1

Protest Rally
Press Release

A peaceful protest rally against the State Terrorism in Manipur was staged by a collective under the initiatives of the Manipur Students' Association Delhi on Monday, 17 August 2009 from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street, New Delhi. The rally was attended by more than 300 individuals representing various student bodies and civil societies.

Protesters raised the banners that read: Condemn State Terrorism in Manipur, Down with Stop State Terrorism in Manipur, Stop Fake Encounters in Manipur, and Manipur Under Siege: We Want Freedom. The slogans of the protest include among others -- Manipur Government: Down Down, India Government: Down Down, Ibobi: Minai macha Minai Macha (Child of slave), Mina macha kanano: Ibobi ni Ibobi (Who is the child of slave: its Ibobi Ibobi), We Want: Freedom, Michan hatpa: yaroi (Killing of civilian: not acceptable), Long Live: People's struggle and AFSPA 1958: Down Down

While addressing the concern over the issue of fake encounter perpetrated by the security personnel with special reference to the 23 July Fake Encounter at Imphal city; the collective was unanimous in hailing high the spirit of resistance against state terrorism exhibited by the people of Manipur.

The collective also expressed solidarity to the conglomeration of Apunba Lup that has been waging people's resistance against the State Terrorism in Manipur. The collective endorsed a collective resolution and submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India demanding;
(a) Immediate end to state terrorism in any part of Manipur, both the valley and the hills,
(b) Immediate revoking of the false statement of 23 July made by the chief minister of Manipur and his resignation on moral ground considering the precariousness of life that his rule in Manipur has created,
(c) Immediate and complete dismissal and strongest punishment of the MPC terrorists responsible for killing of the civilians and
(d) Repeal of Armed Forces Special Power's Act 1958 and any other repressive laws.

Sd/-
Oinam Sandhyarani Chanu
President,
Manipur Students' Association Delhi
17 August 2009

Annexure

Memorandum

To,
The Prime Minister of India,
Prime Minister's Office,
South Block, New Delhi, 110001

Subject: Prayer for the end to the state terrorism and the punishment of the guilty.

Honourable Prime Minister,

In Manipur the right to life is under suspension. The communities that are living in the valley are suppressed under the reign of terror perpetrated by the Manipur Police Commando (MPC) and the other oppressive armed forces. Those who are living in the hills, the first to suffer under the draconian Armed Forces Special Power's Act 1958 are raising the voice against the proposed deployment of the MPC & Indian Reserved Battalion.

The security personnel have not only become perpetrator of extra-judicial killing of civilians in fake encounters but also have become mercenaries that indulge in the brutal suppression of people's clarion call to punishment of the guilty. There is no respite from suppression and harassment by the state terrorism to enjoy a peaceful life. Practically there is no difference between what is actually done in warlordism and what the state police do under the guidance of chief minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi.

The gang of state terrorism, which is what the Manipur Police Commando (MPC) is now in the state, have become commission seekers and looters who would kill anyone for money and promotion. Several individuals are falsely implicated after they are killed in fake encounter and as a result anybody now becomes a posthumous terrorist.

The fake encounter of 23 July 2009 is a glaring example of this brutality of the MPC. On that day a gruesome killing spree was unleashed by the MPC at the heart of the crowded Imphal City in broad daylight. It led to the killing of a pregnant woman Ms. Thokchom (Ongbi) Rabina and a medical attendant Mr. Chongkham Sanjit and injury of Mrs. Wankheirakpam Gitarani Devi (40), wife of (L) W Nongyai Singh of Tengdongyang, Mrs. Ningthoujam Kishorani Devi (43), wife of N Raghumani Singh of Narakonjin, Mr. Golmei Mangal (58), son of Lemba of Maha Kabui Namching, New Keithelmanbi, Mr. Pangambam Lukhoi Singh (30), son of P Pakchao Singh of Heingang Makha Leikai and Mr. Kangabam Subhachandra Singh (40), son of K Samungou Singh of Kha-Potsangbam.

In order to cover up the crime Ibobi had immediately responded with a fabricated report of the incident in the Manipur Assembly. He had charged the insurgents operating in Manipur as responsible for it. Not a single MLA in the State Assembly including the opposition party had raised voice for a judicial enquiry into the incident.

The truth was totally silenced and kept out of public attention. One general position that the chief minister strongly upholds is to deliberately deny a transparent judicial enquiry of the incident and also to deny the validity of the public voices against such killings. Justice was denied to the victims and those who demanded judicial enquiry were arrested on 23 July. However, a detail visual report of the fake encounter was exposed by the Tehelka Weekly on 31 July 2009.

In Manipur the rights of justice and democratic protest are being denied. The Chief Minister, instead of owning the moral responsibility for the fake encounter and for misleading the people of Manipur by a fabricated report has responded with the familiar terror tactics. For the last few days there has been series of clamp down upon civil societies, arrest of the civil leaders, imposition of curfews, brutal repression of the protest against the state terrorism, and deliberate delay in the institution of a transparent judicial enquiry.

The past experiences and the present situation have confirmed our perception about the democratic ideals that are believed to be ensured under the provisions of the Indian Constitution as meaningless for the suppressed people of Manipur. And we know that the militant Chief Minister, his government and the state mercenaries that are operating in Manipur are the instruments of governance instituted by the Government of India.

We, therefore, expressed our plight and sought for an answer as to shouldn't the people of Manipur be allowed to enjoy the rights of peace & democracy or should they be perpetually governed as something other under the oppressive regime?

We, the collectives of the students' bodies and civil societies on the occasion of the Protest Demonstration against the State Terrorism in Manipur at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on 17 August 2009 at 1 p.m. condemned terrorism in any form in any part of Manipur and demanded

* Immediate end to state terrorism in any part of Manipur, both the valley and the hills
* Immediate revoking of the false statement of 23 July made by the chief minister of Manipur and his resignation on moral ground considering the precariousness of life that his rule in Manipur has created.
* Demanded immediate and complete dismissal and strongest punishment of the MPC terrorists responsible for killing of the civilians.
* Repeal of Armed Forces Special Power's Act 1958 and any other repressive laws.

Signatories:

Name-----------------------Orgnisation

Kavita Krishnan-----------------------CPI (ML) Liberation
Faisal Khan-----------------------National Alliance of Peoples' Movement.
Vijay Singh-----------------------Revolutionary Democracy
Poonam-----------------------Prgatisheel Mahila Sangathan
Ravi Hemadri/ Bipin Kumar-----------------------The Other Media
Lalremlien Noitham-----------------------Hmar Students' Association Delhi
Aslam-----------------------All India Students' Association
O. Sandhyarani Chanu-----------------------Manipur Students' Association Delhi
Birju Nayak-----------------------Lok Raj Sangathan
Malem Ningthouja-----------------------Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur)
Asish Gupta-----------------------People's Union for Democratic Rights
Neikesnuo Sorhie-----------------------Naga People's Movement for Human Rigths
Loken Anand-----------------------Arunachal Students' Union Delhi
S. Ibetombi-----------------------Meeot Meenei Kanba Lup
Manisha Sethi-----------------------Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Association
H. Dinachandra-----------------------Thang Ta Federation of India
Sira Kharay-----------------------Naga Students' Union Delhi
G. N. Saibaba-----------------------Revolutionary Democratic Front

Dated/ Delhi:
17 August 2009

Apunbana Yaipharae
(Unity is Victory)

Manipur Students' Association Delhi (Estd. 1971)